Witmer Park and Mars Cafe

---

On Sunday morning, after a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs made by Andy and potato casserole made by Erin, we took the kids for a walk to their local park. There aren't sidewalks on all the streets in Des Moines, so we alternated crossing the street to get where we needed to go. I love how green Des Moines is, and it was nice strolling through all the cute, old homes and large trees that create canopies over some parts of the streets.

Oliver enjoyed throwing rocks in the lake at Witmer Park, and then we took him to the playground. A very large dog came up and joined him there. Oliver was digging in the gravel, and he thought it was hilarious when the dog started digging with him, too. Oliver found an acorn that he wanted to throw into the lake, so we started our walk back. Andy pointed out a mother duck and her baby ducklings to us. They were the tiniest ducklings I've ever seen! I hoped to spot the beaver that Erin told me lived there, but we missed him.

After the park, Andrew and I decided to take the kiddos over to Mars Cafe. Mars Cafe is near Drake University, and we once walked there with Andy and Erin when they lived at their old house. Their new home is too far to walk to the coffee shop, but it's still a short drive there. I decided to try a "Sputnik," which was described as a "honey-cinnamon-almond latte." It was perfect: not too sweet, and the cinnamon gave it a cozy feel. The best part? It was served in a mug, and the barista made a leaf design on top out of espresso and foam. I made sure to snap a picture before taking my first, delicious sip. I added a flyer I found near the register for the 80-35 music festival that my brother helps organize every year. You know, just to show I was really there. As I sipped my Sputnik latte (did I mention it was delicious?) I noticed a boardgame shelf near our table. I pulled a game of Candyland from the shelf and introduced Oliver to boardgames. He played for a few turns before growing bored with it. So, we packed up and headed back to join the rest of the family and to hear about the end of the Sox game (they won in extra innings).

---

Photos

Oliver and the Dog
That big dog ran up to Oliver in the playground and started to dig with him.

Andy and Dad Look for the Beaver
The couldn't spot the beaver, but they found a mother duck!

Mother Duck and Ducklings
Those are the tiniest ducklings I've ever seen!

Sputnik
This is the Sputnik latte I ordered from Mars Cafe in Des Moines.

Candyland
Oliver and I played a couple turns of Candyland while we sipped our drinks at Mars Cafe.